Designing Knitwear by Deborah Newton - Sewing and Crafts - Books

Designing Knitwear

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SKU# 070392

Instructions for 16 Finished Garments

Deborah Newton

Paperback

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Details

Product # 070392
Type Paperback
ISBN 978-1-56158-265-5
Published Date 1998
Dimensions 8-1/2 x 11
Pages 272
Photos color photos
Drawings and drawings

Master designer Deborah Newton takes the mystery out of the design process and shares the trade secrets she has accumulated in over 18 years of design experience. In this classic book, Newton creates the ultimate guide to designing knitwear. Learn how a designer creates a sweater and find dozens of partial schematic patterns to develop into original patterns. Instructions for 16 finished garments are also featured in Designing Knitwear.

Discover in-depth information on:

finding design inspiration
creating exciting textured fabrics
shaping and fitting garments
working with color and graphics
using dressmaking details for knitwear

"It's well written, organized, and laid out, loaded with useful information, ideas, inspiration, and illustrative pattern examples. An invaluable resource whether you...are just starting out or have been designing for years."

-- Patternworks

"Anyone lucky enough to know Deborah and her enthusiasm for knitting will not be surprised by her brilliant first volume. Everyone else is in for a real treat!"

-- Nancy Thomas, editor, Knitter's Magazine

Table of Contents

1 Learning to See

2 Designing with Yarn

3 Fit & Silhouette

4 Designing with Knit & Purl

5 Color & Graphics

6 The Comfortable Classics

7 Themes & Samplers

8 Dressmaker Details & Finishing Techniques

Addendum: Pushing the Limits

For Knitters Outside the United States

Knitting Abbreviations Used in This Book

Patterns Not Included in the Main Text

Sources of Supply

Bibliography

Index

Introduction

Ten years ago, when I was a novice designer, the lack of available information on knitwear design frustrated me thoroughly. I searched for direction in numerous knitting books but found only decriptions of standard garment shapes and instructions for how many stitches to cast on for a given width. Although these guidelines were useful, I wanted much more information. What about the subtleties of fit? How to shape a complicated garment? How to use color successfully? And, as elusive to me as anything, wehre do ideas and inspiration come from?

Armed with these questions, I began investigating design on my own, starting with simple shapes and plain fabrics. Because I was very interested in knitting techniques, my early projects were often inspired by traditional knitted garments. I also became interested in knitted designs from the past and collected them for inspiration for detail and silhouette.

As time passed and I became more adept, I began to refer to books beyond the realm of knitting. Books about drawing helped me understand color relationships. Studying illustrations in all kinds of books helped me develoop my cartoon-like sketching style. Books on embroidery offered inspiration for new patterns. Books on sewing helped me learn about garment construction and shaping. I also began to look closely at all kinds of clothing, from garments in fashion magazines to historical pieces in museum collections to vintage and ethnic clothing. From all these sources, I adapted garment shapes and details to use in my knitwear designs, testing new ideas with new projects.

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